Filipina-Italian actress Bella Gagliano on working with Jennifer Lopez in ‘This is Me…Now’

Bella Gagliano is a 20-year-old trapped in a 10-year-old body.

Smart, intelligent, eloquent, talented, and so mature for her age that we couldn’t believe we were talking to a 10-year-old.

Born in July 2013 in Santa Monica, Bella is the older child of Filipina-Spanish Francesca Garcia and Italian-Irish Frank Gagliano, who both operate a Nutraceutical Company that specializes in natural supplements.

Francesca, whose mother hails from Zamboanga and then moved to Baguio, admitted that she hasn’t been back to the Philippines for nearly 22 years.

She described Bella as “an old soul.”

“She always loved the acting part since she was little. We just didn’t explore it until about age four. She’s a natural-born performer and isn’t shy, which is something you can’t teach,” she said about her daughter.

For someone so young but so focused already on what she wants to do with her life, Bella is lucky to have very supportive parents. Francesca said, “I always support my children’s passion. My youngest son, Enzo,8, loves soccer and would like to play professionally someday. Bella enjoys every aspect of the entertainment industry. She loves singing and performing. So, it’s a natural pull for her to be in the entertainment industry. This industry can either be positive or negative, especially as a child actor. You hear stories about child actors growing up troubled and lost. I think it’s very important to have a good foundation at home. We are making sure she stays grounded, full of empathy and humility.”

Bella, who began modeling at the age of two and a half, has graced campaigns for renowned brands such as Mattel, United Airlines, Amazon, Disney, Nordstrom, Adidas, Kohl’s, DSW Shows, Jelly Belly and many more.

Her portfolio boasts over a dozen commercials, including ones for Kohl’s, Mattel, Dish Network, NFL Shop, Visit Palm Springs, Simply Piano, Strava and numerous others.

Beyond her modeling success, Bella has a melodic voice that makes her a versatile young talent to watch in the years to come.

Bella currently appears in Jennifer Lopez’s movie “This is Me…Now” which is streaming now on Prime Video where she portrays the young Jenny, adding another layer to her already impressive portfolio at a young age.

Additionally, a documentary titled “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” delves into the making of “This is Me…Now” which will be streaming on February 27th.

Bella has two movies in post-production—one about Our Lady of Fatima, where she plays Jacinta, and the other movie, “Whirlwind,” helmed by award-winning director and film editor, Anne Goursaud.

We talked to Bella via Zoom and she told us more about working with J. Lo, how she prepared for her role, meeting the superstar and her husband Ben Affleck, working on her two new projects, and growing up in a multicultural household.

How did you get the role?

I auditioned for the role. But before I went to audition, we looked at pictures of J. Lo when she was younger and looked at how she did her hair and dressed up and we tried to recreate the same look and angle. When they called me, they invited me to a dance studio because they also needed a kid who could sing and dance. After all, J. Lo is also a singer and dancer. I did a dancing audition for the main song “This is Me … Now”. So, I also had a recording of myself singing and dancing.

What came first- your love for singing, dancing or acting?

I actually started modeling when I was two years old. Then when I was five or six years old, I wanted to do more so I did commercials and theatrical work. I did a lot of singing and dancing when I was two or three years old. In fact, my first dance class was for ballet. I love ballet. I don’t do it as much, but I still do it. When I turned seven to eight years old, I did more hip hop, just like J. Lo. When I was younger, I also used to do opera singing, with very high vocals. I can still sing like that. Now, I love doing pop songs, but I also love doing vintage songs like the Beatles, the ’70s and ’80s songs. So now I do a combination of current music and vintage music.

What was it like working with Jennifer Lopez?

I am so happy and grateful that I was given a chance to work with her. I also met her friends, her manager Benny Medina and her husband Ben Affleck who is really nice. She has an amazing work ethic and one day, they invited me to their rehearsal, and I saw her practicing her singing and dancing routine for seven hours straight without a break.

Did J. Lo give you any advice on how to portray her younger self?

No, she did not. I just watched her old movies like “Maid in Manhattan” and “The Wedding Planner” and they are all good. The producers just told me we need a kind, loving girl to portray the young J. Lo. So that was what I went by.

Who else among the cast members did you become friends with?

I also met Trevor Jackson, Tony Bellissimo, and Derek Hough because the movie is about J. Lo making fun of how many times she would fall in love. She also introduced me to five to six of her friends. There were the quiet ones, the shy ones and a bunch of other people who were all so nice to work with. I did not have scenes with most of them because most of my scenes were just with J. Lo. There were a lot of amazing and talented people on set.

You are also doing two other films after this. Can you tell us more about them?

I have two films that are both in post-production. The first one is “Our Lady of Fatima” I was only nine years old when I started working on this. I was originally cast as Lucia, but they needed someone who is a bit older. So, they cast me as Jacinta instead, the sister of Francisco and the cousin of Lucia. I had to travel to Sacramento, California and take a two-hour plane ride to go there. It was fun to work on it.

The other film which is also in post-production is titled “Whirlwind.” I am playing a younger version of another actress. It is a short film, and it is the story of a girl who is trying to find someone who loves her, and I am her younger self who is just guiding and helping her.

What grade are you now?

I am now in Grade 5.

So, are you still going to school or are you being tutored?

I am still going to school. But when I have to be away from school for one to two months, I have a tutor on set who helps me with my schoolwork in between breaks from scene to scene. My school knows that I am an actress so if I am gone from school for two to four days, which is okay. It is only when I would be gone for a month or more, that I have to be homeschooled or have a tutor on set.

You are growing up with different cultures. Your mom is Filipina-Spanish. Your Dad is Italian-Irish. And you are American. How is it growing up and being exposed to different cultures?

My mom is Filipina, so we go a lot to Seafood City. She has exposed me to a lot of Filipino food like durian, pancit canton and I love Filipino snacks like shrimp crackers. One day, I really wanted to try balut, the duck egg. We got what we thought was balut and when I tried it, it was not good. It was horrible. In fact, there was no duck inside. Probably it was not even balut.

My dad is Italian-Irish but he does not speak Italian. My mom is Filipina-Spanish and she speaks Italian too. My dad exposed me to Italian food, but it is my mom who really has a lot of Italian friends, and we always get gelato, pasta and pizza. I like Italian food but honestly, I love Filipino food because it is more exotic. I love it a lot.

Have you gone to the Philippines?

No, I haven’t but my mom has. But she hasn’t been back in a long time. But I have seen videos of how beautiful the beaches and oceans are in the Philippines. And all my mom’s Filipina friends are all nice. I have always wanted to go to the Philippines.

So, what do you want to do if you ever went to the Philippines?

My mom has shown me pictures and videos of her going to the street markets and meeting the vendors with food, the beaches. Most likely, I would like to go to the beach.

Do you speak any Tagalog words?

No, I don’t. I have heard my mom speak Tagalog and it sounds complicated. But I have asked her to teach me.

When you grow up do you want to be a professional actress? Singer? Dancer? Or all of the above?

I want to be like Selena Gomez. She is a singer, dancer and actress. I want to be a professional in all of those so I can write my own songs, sing and dance in the movies.

What is your dream project?

This project is really awesome, but I wouldn’t say it is my dream project. I am just in a supporting role here. I love drama so probably my dream project is to be in a lead role in a drama movie and working with more celebrities and famous actors.

Who do you idolize as actors or actresses?

I love Michael Jackson and Audrey Hepburn. I love celebrities who help people and not just buy mansions and cars. If I get a lot of money, I would like to donate my money to homeless shelters, children’s hospitals and help people.

I can see you really love fashion because you are fashionably dressed today. And you were a former model.

Yes, I do love fashion. That is another dream of mine. I would love to walk on the runway for some famous designers. That would really be fun.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News